The emergence of Parveez Rasool

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We are the proud fans of perhaps the best cricket team in the world. Having to our name both major ICC ODI titles, we will find little opposition to stake that claim. While the squad that thrashed every team it faced and lifted the Champions Trophy is virtually invincible, we sadly cannot rely on them to march into every match India has scheduled for the year. They need some time to rest and recuperate.
When the task of identifying the replacements for the cricketers who need rest came up, the selectors did not opt to simply call back the tried and tested players like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh. They instead looked at the young talent pool that is available to them.
Of the new players who have found themselves in the big league, the most renowned is the star from Jammu and Kashmir, Parveez Rasool. Rasool, a right hand batsman and offbreak bowler, plays domestic cricket as an all-rounder for Jammu & Kashmir. He is the first person from J&K to make it to the national team.
This isn’t the first time he has made headlines. In October 2009, while playing for J&K in an under-22 tournament in Bangalore, Rasool and team-mate Mehrajuddin were detained by the Karnataka Police after traces of explosives were allegedly found in their kit bags. A few days later, they were released for lack of evidence.
His excellent performance during the Ranji season 2012-13 won him a spot on the Indian A team for the warm-up one-day match against England on January 6, 2013.
In February 2013, Rasool reminded everyone of his capabilities when, through his three spells, he steamrolled the visiting Australian side to a modest 241 and took 7 wickets when he played for Board President’s XI. Players who kneeled before his spectacular bowling include regular Test opener Ed Cowan, stand-in captain and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade and all-rounder Steve Smith.
2013 has so far been an excellent year for Rasool with him bagging an IPL contract, signing up with Pune Warriors. He made his IPL debut in the Pune Warriors vs. Kolkata Knight Riders match on May 9, where he claimed the wicket of Jaques Kallis. His figures for the match were 1/23 off 4 overs.
His inclusion in the national squad couldn’t have come at a better time. The 2015 World Cup is near enough for the selectors to start looking out for note-worthy players while far enough for him to show his mettle, identify his weaknesses and improve so that by 2015, he is a bowler worthy of the World Cup. The challenge in front of him is not an easy one. The bowlers he has to outshine are the ones who have won India the elusive Champions Trophy. A phenomenal performance in Zimbabwe and he may find himself at the World Cup in 2015. Anything less than phenomenal and he may end up watching the World Cup from the comfort of his couch.